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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

Fraud email example:

From: (sent from abused email account)
Reply-To: <fra.dennis@rocketmail.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:12:07 +0000
Subject: I NEED YOUR COOPERATION



Hello:

Good day! With all due respect, I guess my letter will not embarrass you, since I have no previous correspondence with you. I strongly believed I would not regret approaching you in this matter.

My name is Frank Dennis; and I work in the International Operation Department in a Bank here in London. I am writing in respect of a foreign customer of my bank. Late ANDREAS SCHRANNER from Munich, Germany among others perished with all the members of his families on 25th July, 2000 CONCORDE plan clash [Flight AF4590]. For further detail visit;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/859479.stm

There’s a domiciliary account opened in our bank in 1998 by this great late INDUSTRIALIST who died without a written or oral 'WILL' attached to the account. Since his death, I personally have watched with keen interest to see the next of kin, but all has proved abortive, sequel to the fact that no one has come to claim this funds and no other person knows about this account or anything concerning it, the account has no other beneficiary and until his death he was the manager of his company.

We wish to transfer the fund in this account out of the country and the total amount involved is (Thirty Six Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Nine Thousand Pounds Sterling’s only) in his account here in London which he deposited as a family valuables.

I have secretly discussed this matter with the general manager of the bank who I must involve in order to have a smooth and a successful transfer of the fund to any foreign bank account which you are going to nominate. On this note, I decided to seek for a reliable foreigner who will act as the foreign beneficiary of the fund from the deceased by providing bank account where the fund will be transferred into, for immediate investment on any viable project as no one has come up to be the next of kin to the deceased.

The banking ethics here does not allow such money to stay more than nine years without claim hence the money will be recalled to the government treasury as unclaimed after this long period of dormancy. In view of this I got your contact through my random search in the Internet, to see if you can assist by providing a safe bank account for the transfer or find a reliable person who will be capable of receiving such amount.

Upon the receipt of your reply, I will send to you detailed information about the transaction. I will not fail to bring to your notice that this business is 100% risk and trouble free and you should not entertain any fear as all modalities for fund transfer can be finalized within 10 to 14 banking days, after you apply to the bank as the beneficiary of the fund from the deceased. We will destroy all documents of transaction immediately the transfer is been concluded, leaving no trace to the transfer and to build confidence.

Let me hear from you urgently.


Respectfully Yours,
Frank Dennis.

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